The
corpse flower, or titan arum, is famous for its
rare-but-enormous blossoms. Blooms usually stand about 8 feet
(2.4 meters) tall. They burst open on an unpredictable cycle that
can stretch for more than a decade between flowers. The plant's
scientific name, Amorphophallus titanum, means "giant,
misshapen penis," hinting at the appearance of this bizarre
plant.

But what really makes corpse flowers famous is their stench. The
plants smell like rotting flesh, all the better to attract the
carrion beetles and flies that carry the flowers' pollen. Each
bloom lasts only about 48 hours, after which the plant goes
dormant and may not bloom again for another seven to 10 years.
[ Watch
live broadcast of the blooming corpse flower ]

When titan arum plants aren't blooming, they produce a single,
enormous leaf that can grow 20 feet (6 m) high, according to The
Ohio State University's Biological Sciences Greenhouse. The plant
goes through several cycles of sprouting a leaf, then going
dormant before its first bloom. This often takes up to a decade.
After a bloom, the plant goes dormant again for several months
before growing another leaf.

The plant blooming now at the Denver Botanic Gardens is the first
corpse flower to bloom in the state, and in the Rocky Mountain
region in general. In July,
another corpse flower bloomed at the UC Botanical Garden in
Berkeley, drawing huge crowds.

The Denver Botanic Gardens is hosting a live stream of the
blooming flower, which measures more than 5 feet (1.5 m) tall.
Garden hours have been extended from 9 a.m. to midnight today
(Aug. 19) and from 6 a.m. to midnight on Thursday (Aug. 20) to
accommodate visitors who want to see — and smell — the rare
blossom.